A heated political exchange between Afrobeats star Davido and former presidential aide Bashir Ahmad has spilled into a wider social media controversy after Ahmad used South African singer Tyla’s Grammy Award to mock the Nigerian superstar, drawing criticism from many X users.
The online clash began after presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga announced that President Bola Tinubu had directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to lift the court order restricting Osun State Government accounts following a phone conversation with Governor Ademola Adeleke.
Davido, whose uncle Governor Ademola Adeleke is seeking re-election in the August 15 Osun State governorship election, reacted to the development by writing on X: “I was there live! I witnessed history!!!”
Bashir Ahmad responded by saying he had bookmarked the singer’s post, suggesting Davido would return to complain if the election results did not favour his preferred candidate. Davido fired back, alleging that election results could be manipulated before also mocking Ahmad’s previous performance in an APC primary election, where he reportedly secured 16 votes.
The exchange soon shifted from politics to entertainment after Ahmad posted an image of a Grammy Award, asking Davido how many Grammy trophies he had won despite receiving five nominations. Davido rejected the comparison, insisting that his success extends beyond awards, pointing to sold-out arenas, billions of music streams, worldwide influence and his impact on younger generations.
The disagreement escalated further when Ahmad shared an AI-generated image of Davido holding a Grammy Award before posting a photograph of South African singer Tyla with her Grammy trophy alongside the caption, “Water. @davido.”
That post quickly triggered backlash across social media, with many users accusing Ahmad of poor judgment for comparing a Nigerian artiste to a South African musician amid renewed concerns over xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa. Others argued that if he intended to mock Davido over Grammy Awards, referencing Nigerian winners such as Burna Boy, Wizkid or Tems would have been more appropriate.
The incident has since generated widespread debate online, with discussions extending beyond the original political disagreement to questions about celebrity influence in politics, national identity and whether international awards should be the ultimate measure of an artiste’s success.
